Illuminating attachment for retractors.



W. J. CAMERON.

ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR RETRACTORS,

APPLICATION man MAY 4, 1916.

1 $8 1 $020 Patented July 3, 1917.5

Jaye/72 07: TCI'JULQSS muuam 76am QVOQ wwwww%% mnrn WILLIAM J. CAMERON, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR RETRACTORS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1917.

Application filed May 4, 1916. Serial No. 95,397.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. CAMERON,

a subject of the King of Great Britain, having declared his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States, and residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Illuminating Attachment for Retractors, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to retractors for sur gical and dental use and more particularly to an attachment therefor, for use by dentists, mouth and throat specialists or surgeons, for the purpose of illuminating the area under examination or operation.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an attachment for a retractor of this character that may be readily and quickly secured to the instrument and held in position, without the necessity of using thumb screws and similar devices. Another object of my invention is the provision of an illuminating device that will be conveniently held upon the instrument so that the operative, dentist or surgeon will have both hands free to work. Still another object of my invention is the provision of an illuminating device in connection with a retractor which, when used in operations upon the mouth, will dispose the point of illumination at or near the roof of the month where it will be most out of the way, and, at the same time in such a position as to most advantageously illuminate the mouth and throat cavities. Further objects of my in vention are the provision of a device of this character that is simple to operate and is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture 0 so that it may be sold to the user at a mod erate price.

I prefer to accomplish these and other objects of my invention in the manner and by the means hereinafter fully described and as more particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, wherein it is seen that,-

Figure l is a perspective view of my illuminating attachment mounted upon a well known retractor or gag. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my attach ment removed from the retractor.

Fig. 3 is a top plan thereof. ig. 4: is a central longitudinal section taken on line M, Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters have been employed to indicate the divers elements in the several figures, it will be observed that the retractor or gag comprises a pair of interlocking members, 10 and 11, that are of substantially L-shape or U-shape and adapted to adjustably and slidably engage each other. -The member, 11, is provided adjacent one end with inturned lips, 12, that provide a guide adapted to engage the body or main portion of the opposing member, 10. he member, 10, has an arm, 13, disposed substantially at right-angles thereto and slightly convex, the end portion where of is bent over to form a downwardly extended hook, 141. The opposite member, 11, has an arm, 15, that isalso disposed substantially at right-angles to it and slightly convex to bring it into the plane of the arm, 13, while the outer end portion thereof 14, on the opposite member. In using this device as a mouth gag, the hooks are placed against the teeth in the upper and lower jaws and when the lower jaw is moved downwardly to separate the jaws, the operative will spread the arms of the retractor away from each other, causing the member, 11, to slide upon the opposite member, 10. Any tendency of the patients jaws to then come together causes the members of the gag to shift to one side and frictionally lock or retain the guide, 12, upon the member, 10.

The structure which I have above described is substantially the type of retractor I prefer to employ and is similar to that described and illustrated in United States Letters Patent No. 955,006, granted to J. E. Sparks, April 12, 1912, for abdominal retractor, whereof I am owner, but it will be obvious that my attachment may be employed upon other devices without materially departing from the spirit thereof.

My illuminating attachment comprises a suitable barrel or cylindrical holder, 17, that surrounds a terminal, 18, and is internally screw-threaded to form a socket into which an electric lamp, 19, preferably of the tungsten type, is adapted to be inserted. Suitable longitudinally disposed ears or extensions, 20, are extended from the outer end of this barrel to protect the lamp and the same is surrounded with a gauze cage, 21, so that in the event the lamp becomes the patient.

' portions ofthe respectivehooks.

crushed, the small particles of glass will be prevented from falling into the mouth of Stamped integrally of the same piece of metal from which the barrel is formed is a rearwardly extended plate, 22, that is considerably wider than the diameter of: the barrel and is provided at its rear edge with a slotted embossment, 23, the function of which is to mount the attachment upon one of the hooks, 14, or 16, of the retractor arms. Viewed in side elevation, this rearwardly extended plate is somewhat sickleshaped, as shown in Figs. 2 and i of the drawings, and mounted upon the embossment, 23, is a suitable cap or cup, 2a, carrying a block of insulating material, 25, and into which the terminals, 26.and 27, areextended. Terminal 2? passes entirely through the block and out through a suitable opening in the closed end of the cap,24c, from which it extends to and into the block of insulation, 18, carried by the barrel. The opposite terminal, 26, is extended into the block, 25, and contacts .theinietal of which the attachment is .made.

hen it is desiredto use this illuminating attachment, the bulb is screwed into the socket in :the well known manner and the slotted embossment is mounted upon one or the other of the hooks, liand 16, of the retractor .arms, the curved or sickle-shaped portion of the attachment plate heretofore mentioned, conforming substantially with the curvature of the aforesaid hooks and when properly positioned upon said hooks, the edge of embossment will engage suitable shoulders, in or 16, formed in the adjacent The circuit is then formed by means of a suitable terminal socket, 28, containing terminal cylinders. 29 and 30, that are adapted to fit over the terminals, 26 and 37, and are connected by an insulated cord, 31, to a battery of any suitable type, or through a transformer or reduction device connected up with the ordinary illuminating circuit outlet or tap. It will now be seen that'if the attachment heretoiore described is mounted uponvthe upper arm of theretractor, the light, when the device is used in connection with the mouth, will :be disposed ,near the roof of the mouth a ma position .mostoutofthe way of the ;in

struments employed and at the same time in the most advantageous position for the illumination ofthe mouth and throat cavities.

While I have illustrated and described certain specific means for carrying out my invention, it, of course, will be obvious to others skilled in the art to whichit pertains, that divers modifications and refinements thereof are possible without materially departing from the spirit ofmy invention. therefore desire it understoodthat all such changes are contemplated within the scope of my invention as expressed in the appended claims.

lVh'at I claim as new is 1. The combinationwith a retractor providedwith a carrying portion, of a suitably shaped plate adapted to assemble and interlock with said carryingportion and extended to form a barrel at one end provided with an electric light socket,.and.a sleeve disposed rearwardly of said barrel at the opposite end of said plate and provided with terminals for said socket.

2. The combination with a .retractor provided with acarrying portion, of a suitably shaped plate adapted to be maintained upon said carrying portion and comprisinga barrel at oneend having anelectric light socket, and an extension disposed rearwardly from said barrel and terminating in a sleeve, said sleeve and extension being adapted to be mounted upon said carrying portioinand' an electric contact member carried by said sleeve.

3. The combination with a ,retractor provided witha carrying portion, of a suitably shaped plate adapted to assembleand interlock withsaid carrying portion andextended to :forma barrelat one end provided with anelectric lamp socket, .a sleeve disposed at V the opposite end of said plate, a conductor leading from said socket to said sleeve,,and terminals for said socket carried by said sleeve. V Signed at Chicago, county of Coolpand Stateof Illinois, this 1st dayof May 1916. W'ILLIAlvl J. 'CriMERON.

\Vitnesses K. Lonny, Jr, V '31. H ROL Eionnnrran.

Copies of this patent may bepbtaine d forfive vcents each, by addressing the Gommissionerof Patents,

Washington. D. 0.. 

